Death Valley Girls

Death Valley Girls emerged in 2013 as a Los Angeles garage-punk outfit whose self-described “California doom boogie” fuses gritty psychedelia, biker-soundtrack theatrics, and lyrics that revel in all manner of dubious conduct. Their early recordings—chiefly 2014’s cassette-only Street Venom and the 2016 full-length Glow in the Dark—were defined by buzzing lead guitars, raw and powerful drumming, and the commanding voice of Bonnie Bloomgarden. By the time the band issued Under the Spell of Joy in 2020 and Islands in the Sky in 2023, the sonic approach had grown somewhat more refined, hard-rock textures had surfaced more prominently, and spacious, reverberant production had introduced fresh atmospheric depth.

The group’s first incarnation included drummer Patty Schemel, formerly of Hole and Juliette and the Licks; her brother Larry Schemel, late of Lucid Nation, on guitar; bassist Rachel Orosco; and singer Bonnie Bloomgarden, previously of the Witnesses. Street Venom appeared without personnel credits, followed later that year by the single “Electric High” b/w “Gettin’ Hard,” after which Patty Schemel departed and Laura Kelsey, once of the Flytraps, took over the drum kit. Glow in the Dark captured further personnel shifts, with Alana Amram stepping in for Orosco on bass and Jessie Jones joining to share lead vocals alongside Bloomgarden. Darkness Rains, released in 2018 on Suicide Squeeze Records, contained the track “Disaster (Is What We’re After),” whose video earned an on-screen endorsement from punk icon Iggy Pop, who is shown eating a fast-food burger while the song plays. The limited-edition live cassette Levitation Sessions, recorded at the Cone in Los Angeles, surfaced in 2020.

For Under the Spell of Joy the core duo of Larry Schemel and Bloomgarden was joined by Nicole “Pickle” Smith on bass and Rikki Styxx on drums, while Laura Kelsey shifted from percussion to keyboards. An expanded reissue of Street Venom arrived in July 2021, presenting the original material on vinyl and digital formats for the first time. Early the following year the band shared a split single with Le Butcherettes, contributing “When I’m Free” opposite the latter’s “The Universe,” and in April a remix of that track by electro-rap veteran Peaches was issued. Islands in the Sky, released in February 2023, marked the group’s most meticulously produced effort to date; Sammy Westervelt replaced Smith on bass and vocals, Laura Kelsey exited, and Bloomgarden assumed keyboard duties in addition to singing, with Gregg Foreman adding extra keys and Gabe Flores contributing saxophone.